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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the authorities covers the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with different personalities.

“One whale chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far better medical attention and constant care than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in the spring following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park suspected details of the death were shared to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

She supports calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reveal a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|